I can't decide which is more noteworthy about this film – how incredibly sexist it is, how incredibly provincial it is or how its two stars are so clearly inferior versions of other performers.
If A Man Answers is a romantic comedy about Chantal Stacy (Sandra Dee), the young daughter of a French mother and Boston father, and her eventual marriage to Eugene Wright (Bobby Darin), a New York City photographer who gives up his bachelor ways for his cute and spunky bride. Chantal starts out as the sort of hot-and-cold girl who dates lots of guys but never lets any of them get past first base. Her parents move to New York City, and even though she's theoretically a grown woman, Chantal tags along. In the city, she meets Eugene and latches onto him as "The One" for her. They're married in short order and the rest of the story focuses on Chantal's efforts to make Eugene into a better husband. First, she follows her mother's advice and literally tries to train Eugene like puppy. Then, following more of her mother's advice, she invents a lover to try and make Eugene jealous. But the comments of her passive-aggressive girlfriend Tina (Stephanie Powers) and the imaginary lover showing up in the flesh at her door send Chantal's plans quite awry.
Even for its era, this is a remarkably sexist movie. Not in a "women are stupid and can't do anything themselves" way, but in a "women's entire existence revolves around their men" way. The story proposes that there are only two phases to a woman's life 1. Land a husband.
2. Make him happy.
The idea the husband has anything of value to contribute to the marriage or has to take any responsibility for it is never even suggested. Eugene, frankly, acts like a complete ass at times, yet his bad behavior is accepted as perfectly normal for a married man. If you ever want to see what pre-feminist concepts of female empowerment were like, watch If A Man Answers. Both Chantal and her mother are portrayed as the ones who are really in charge of their families, but all their actions are subservient to the needs of their husbands. In a certain sense, they're more like social secretaries than wives. This film is also relentless in promoting marriage as the only appropriate and fulfilling destiny for a woman. The possibility a woman could find anything of value is a life without marriage is not just ignored, it's deliberately undermined.
This movie also reminds us how much bigger the world used to be. Chantal having a French mother is treated like the most amazing thing in the world, as though someone from a foreign country marrying an American is something that only happened once a century or so. And Chantal's mother Germaine (Micheline Presle) is portrayed as this wise guru on all things romantic. You know the old movie clichés about all American Indians being more in touch with the land or all Asians being good at karate? That's how this movie treats Germaine, like she's an alien from a more advanced culture who fell in love with one of the Earth natives and uses her sophisticated insight to bring joy and love to her family. She's like a cross between Cupid and Kaine from the TV show Kung Fu.
Finally, you can't watch If A Man Answers without noticing that its two lead performers are really knock offs of much bigger movie stars. Sandra Dee is obviously a copy of Doris Day. She's not a cheap copy, but she's definitely bargain priced. Bobby Darin, however, is what you would get if you took Dean Martin, sucked out most of his charm, talent and attractiveness and then shrunk him by about a foot. In fact, when Cesar Romero shows up in the story, he's not only more charming in every way but you can't help but observe that he could pick up Bobby Darin and use him as a toothpick. Darin may have been a very good singer and showman, but he's got no business starring in a motion picture. And while Dee is nice and all that in her own right, if you've ever seen a Doris Day movie you can't help but notice that Dee is a measurably less wonderful imitation.
If you can get past its, at times, jaw-dropping sexism and the fact that Bobby Darin is no good at all, If A Man Answers is a fairly pleasant relic from a bygone age. If you liked Doris Day's films, you'll enjoy this as the sincerest form of flattery.
If A Man Answers is a romantic comedy about Chantal Stacy (Sandra Dee), the young daughter of a French mother and Boston father, and her eventual marriage to Eugene Wright (Bobby Darin), a New York City photographer who gives up his bachelor ways for his cute and spunky bride. Chantal starts out as the sort of hot-and-cold girl who dates lots of guys but never lets any of them get past first base. Her parents move to New York City, and even though she's theoretically a grown woman, Chantal tags along. In the city, she meets Eugene and latches onto him as "The One" for her. They're married in short order and the rest of the story focuses on Chantal's efforts to make Eugene into a better husband. First, she follows her mother's advice and literally tries to train Eugene like puppy. Then, following more of her mother's advice, she invents a lover to try and make Eugene jealous. But the comments of her passive-aggressive girlfriend Tina (Stephanie Powers) and the imaginary lover showing up in the flesh at her door send Chantal's plans quite awry.
Even for its era, this is a remarkably sexist movie. Not in a "women are stupid and can't do anything themselves" way, but in a "women's entire existence revolves around their men" way. The story proposes that there are only two phases to a woman's life 1. Land a husband.
2. Make him happy.
The idea the husband has anything of value to contribute to the marriage or has to take any responsibility for it is never even suggested. Eugene, frankly, acts like a complete ass at times, yet his bad behavior is accepted as perfectly normal for a married man. If you ever want to see what pre-feminist concepts of female empowerment were like, watch If A Man Answers. Both Chantal and her mother are portrayed as the ones who are really in charge of their families, but all their actions are subservient to the needs of their husbands. In a certain sense, they're more like social secretaries than wives. This film is also relentless in promoting marriage as the only appropriate and fulfilling destiny for a woman. The possibility a woman could find anything of value is a life without marriage is not just ignored, it's deliberately undermined.
This movie also reminds us how much bigger the world used to be. Chantal having a French mother is treated like the most amazing thing in the world, as though someone from a foreign country marrying an American is something that only happened once a century or so. And Chantal's mother Germaine (Micheline Presle) is portrayed as this wise guru on all things romantic. You know the old movie clichés about all American Indians being more in touch with the land or all Asians being good at karate? That's how this movie treats Germaine, like she's an alien from a more advanced culture who fell in love with one of the Earth natives and uses her sophisticated insight to bring joy and love to her family. She's like a cross between Cupid and Kaine from the TV show Kung Fu.
Finally, you can't watch If A Man Answers without noticing that its two lead performers are really knock offs of much bigger movie stars. Sandra Dee is obviously a copy of Doris Day. She's not a cheap copy, but she's definitely bargain priced. Bobby Darin, however, is what you would get if you took Dean Martin, sucked out most of his charm, talent and attractiveness and then shrunk him by about a foot. In fact, when Cesar Romero shows up in the story, he's not only more charming in every way but you can't help but observe that he could pick up Bobby Darin and use him as a toothpick. Darin may have been a very good singer and showman, but he's got no business starring in a motion picture. And while Dee is nice and all that in her own right, if you've ever seen a Doris Day movie you can't help but notice that Dee is a measurably less wonderful imitation.
If you can get past its, at times, jaw-dropping sexism and the fact that Bobby Darin is no good at all, If A Man Answers is a fairly pleasant relic from a bygone age. If you liked Doris Day's films, you'll enjoy this as the sincerest form of flattery.